Long Beach, CA vs Jacksonville, FL
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
Long Beach, CA and Jacksonville, FL spend within 8.9% of each other per resident — $34,250 versus $31,456 — so on the headline spending-per-capita measure the two cities are effectively neck and neck.
Long Beach, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 53/100 (grade C) for Jacksonville, FL — a 14-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Long Beach, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while Jacksonville, FL carries $2,821 per resident. Their budgets diverge on where the largest per-resident dollars go: Long Beach, CA leads with parks and recreation at $698 per resident, while Jacksonville, FL leads with fire protection at $9,436.
They also fund themselves differently: other revenue is the largest single revenue source in Long Beach, CA at 12% of total revenue, whereas Jacksonville, FL relies most on intergovernmental transfers at 14%.
Summary
Long Beach spends 8.9% more per capita than Jacksonville ($2,794/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $0 | $10 |
| Sales Tax | $36 | $233 |
| Income Tax | $1,760 | $762 |
| Intergovernmental | $1,688 | $7,348 |
| Charges & Fees | $2,424 | $2,119 |
| Other | $8,836 | $4,705 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $0 | $18 |
| Fire Protection | $0 | $9,436 |
| Public Welfare | $1,317 | $486 |
| Health | $477 | $332 |
| Hospitals | $2,751 | $557 |
| Parks & Recreation | $698 | $1,329 |
| Housing | $5,782 | $5,572 |
| Sewerage | $86 | $176 |
| Utilities | $3,889 | $1,835 |
| Interest on Debt | $2,718 | $1,942 |
| Other | $16,533 | $9,771 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.